Warming appliance for beds.



T. G. MITCHELL.

WARMING APPLIANGE FOR BEDS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. 1913y 1,121 ,277. Patented Dec. 15,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

m o o UQ UM T. C. MITCHELL.

WARMING APPLIANCB FOR BEDS.

APPLICATION FILED iowa, 1913.

1,121,277. Patented 1110.151914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

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THERESA. C. MITCHELL, OF NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

WARNING APPLIANCE FOR BEDS.

Specification of Letters Ilatent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed December-4, 19.13. Serial No. 804,651.

and useful Improvements in Ylarming Appliances for Beds, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvedV warming appliance for beds.

The object is to provide such an appliance characterized by portability,separability and adaptability to be used in connection with the ordinaryfelt mattresses of beds. Second, to provide such an appliance whereinthe medium of warmth is produced by a circulation of water and means forheating the latter. Finally, such an appliance with means for regulatingthe temperature of the circulating water.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and set forthin the following description.

That which is new is pointed out in the claims appended to thedescription.

ln the accompanying drawings,-Figure l is an elevation of the warmingappliance applied to a bed land shown partly in section. Fig. 2 is aninner end elevation of the water heating device, showing the connectionsin section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the device atright angles to the disclosure of Fig. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view ofthe pad or mattress to which the heating appliance is applied. Fig. 5 isa detail sectional view through one portion of the pad showing theposition of the water carrying tube therein. Fig. 6 is a bottom planview of a section of the pad showing the means for holding the watercarrying tube in the seat in the bed.

Referring to these drawings, the reference numeral l designates theframe of an ordinary bed and 2 an ordinary stuffed mattress which be ofany of the usual characters of mattress and which is shown merely forthe purpose of illustrating the application of this invention.

The numeral 3 designates a bed pad which may be filled with cottonbatting or the like of suitable thickness, two inches for example beingsuitable, so that one resting uponthe pad when the latter is placed onthe bed will not suffer discomfort from the relative hardness orotherwise of the water circulating pipes combined with the pad ashereinafter Y described, and so that the water circulating pipes whichare disposed within the planes of the upper and lower surfaces of thebed may not be crushed or distorted in any such manner as to impair thedesired free circulation of water therethrough. The pad is provided inits lower surface with a seat or channel 4 to receive the watercirculating pipe 5 and this seat traverses in coil forni such as shownin Fig. 4 or any other suitable form, the surface of the pad, or so muchthereof as may be desired. This pipe seat 4 may be suitably provided bystuffing or drawing in the cotton batting or other filling of the pad,for instance as by stitches Y 6 shown in Figs. 1. and 5. It will benoted from Fig. 4 that the upper end of the pad 3 is not provided withthe seat 4, this portion of the pad being adapted to receive the pil-Vlows and it ordinarily not being required to heat such portion of thebed although it is within the contemplation of this invention to do soif it is found desirable.

The water circulating pipe 5 is preferably of rubber so that it may,because of its flexibility be properly disposed in the pipe seat 4irrespective of the form or tracery of the latter, and when the pipe isdisposed in the seat it is flush with or at least does not protrudebeyondthe plane of the lower surface of the pad and thus is not liableto crushing or distortion. The pipe 5 is held in place in the seat 4detachably so that it may be readily combined with the pad for use andwill maintain its assembled relation when the pad is carriedabout,'either rolled up or otherwise, from place to place as within theroom of a hospital, and may as easily be detached so that the pad may berolled or otherwise folded into more compact form for portability andthe rubber pipe itself be separately made into a compact package.

The fastening means shown is preferred, but other suitable devices forthat purpose may be employed. As shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 6 ofthe drawings, the fastening pipe, and as shown, this heater is made up.

of parts which` may be disconnectedl for convenience of portability andreadily set up a support 11 mounted thereon adjustablyv by means of thestem- 12 and setscrew 13.

A casing 14. is detachably placed upon the i support 11 and houses aheating element such as a lamp 15 adapted to be removed through anopening inl one side of the casing normally closed ay door 16. f

A water vessel 17 is detachably mounted upon the upper end of the casing14 by means of a flanged base on the water receptacle such as shown inFig. 3, the receptacle 17 having pipe connections 1S and 19 at the upperand lower ends thereof adapted to be coupled to the ends of therpipe 5whereby to provide communica-tion between the pipe 5 and water vessel 17and admit of water circulation therethrough.

Suitable-detachable couplings 2O are employed between the members 18 and19 and vthe ends of the pipe 5v admitting of the quick separability ofthe pipe from the heater. `A valve 21 is carried upon the pipeconnection 18 whereby to close communication therebetween and the vessel17, and an extension 22 rises from the outer end'of the connection 18adapted to receivewater vin filling the appliance, and is closed by asuitable cap 23.

The water vessel 17 is provided with an opening in its top Vclosed by acap 2a having a small-opening therein adapted to ad'- mit of the escapeof air from the vessel 17. As shown in Fig. 3 the vessel 17 is providedwith a depending yheating pipe 25 communicating with the interior of thevessel and extending downto proximity with the heating element 15 toinsure a quick and thorough heating of the water in the vessel.' Asuitable drain cock 26 is carried in the lower end of the vessel -17and'is utilized Jfor draining 01T the contents thereof when desired. Itisvery often desirable that the temperature of the water circulatingthrough the pipe 5 bemaintained at a standard and that this may beaccomplished the appliance is provided with a suitable temperatureregulator. As shown, this consists ofV a thermonietric device incommunication with the water system,'themercury of which operates alever which in turn controls the intensity of the `heating device, forexample, as shown, the liame of the lamp. Specifically this controllingdevice comprises a vertical plate 27 Y carried betweenthe pipeconnections 18 and 19 in which is formed a vertical row of openings 28adapted to receive a fulcrum pin 29 for a lever30 whereby to'adjust theheightA oi the lever as desired. yThe plate 27 is provided with suitablegraduations along one side of the row of openings to assist in adjustingthis thermometric device to operate `and maintain the system at thedesired temperature.

Rising from mercury receiving tube 31 in the upper end of which operatesa piston 32 movable by the expansion and contraction'of the mercury inthe tube. The piston 32 has a rod projecting' up through the tube 31 andhaving connection with' the short arm ofthe the pipe connection 19 yis'a lever 30 whereby to lock the latter about the ulcrum pin 29. Y

A suitable cord 33 is secured to the outer end of the long arm of thelever 30, extends down toward thelamp 15 and passes over a groovedpulleyy34 mounted on the stem of the lamp controlling they height ,ofy thefia-me thereof. -The cord 33 after passing around'the pulley 34. extendsdown a short distance and is provided with a weight 35 adapted to holdthe cord 33 taut and turn the stem of the lamp when the lever 30 ismoved to slacken the cord. If desired a weight 36 may be placed upon theshortv arm of the lever 30 to counterbalance the weight 35..`

It can be readily seen that Vupon the expansion of the mercury by a riseof the temperature of the water passing through the pipe connection 19the piston 32 is raised and the lever 30 rocked to slacken i the cord 33whereupon the weight 35 turns the stem and lowers the iiame of the lampOn the other hand when the mercury contracts by a degree inthetemperature of the water passing through thev pipe connection 19, thelever 30 is rocked in an opposite direction, by the combined weight ofthe piston 32`and the'weight 36 to draw the cord 33 up and rotatethestem` of the lamp in-a directiony to raise the flame thereof andincrease the heat 'intensity of the lamp.

In filling the system ory appliance with water the valve 21 is closedand the cap 23 removed. Water is poured in the extension 22 the samepassing into the tube 5 through the latter and then into the bottom ofthe vessel 17. As the water rises in the vessel 17 the air in the vesselis expelled through theV opening in the cap 24.' As soon as the sys-ltem is illed with water the valveV 21 is vopened to admit a freecirculation of the water and the lamp is ignited.

It is thus seen that the applianceimay be disassembled into a number ofrelatively small parts may be readily packed `for shipment and may bequickly set up.

sel 17` may have connection with any numpads 3 ifV ity is so desired toapply this sysl It isV of course obvious that the water vestem to morethan'one-bed'. It will be noted 130 that this heating system isapplicable not only to hospital beds or sick beds in general but alsomay be applied to beds out of doors as in camps, sleeping porches andthe likeY where it is desired to maintain a certain warmth not otherwiseobtainable, further the pads 3 may be of such form as to be applied tobeds as herein shown or may be reduced in size and given differentshapes for use on chairs or the like when desired.

lVhat I claim is:

l. A warming device as specied comprising a flexible pad having one sidedepressed to provide a seat or groove in the pad, a warming elementseated in said groove, and means for detachably holding the warmingelement in the groove, said element being adapted to be removed fromsaid seat whereby said pad may be rolled up into compact form.

2. A warming device of the character described comprising Va flexiblepad having one side depressed to provide a seat or groove in the pad, awarming element seated in the groove, and fastening means for holdingthe element in said seat, saidmeans being detachable whereby the elementmay be removed from said pad and the latter be rolled up into compactform.

3. A warming` device as specified comprising a flexible pad, having oneside depressed and stitched Vto the opposite side to provide a seat orgroove in the body of the pad opening through the side thereof, awarming element seated in said groove and lying 1wholly within theplanes of the sides of the pad, hooks secured to said side of the padalong the line and at the opposite sides of the seat, and a lacingstrung on said hooks and across the open side of the seat whereby todetachably retain Vthe warming element in the seat.

el. In a portable warming device, and in combination, a Water heater, aflexible tube detachably connected to the heater, a flexible pad, andmeans securing the tube in the pad, said means being detachable wherebythe tube may be separated from said heater and said pad and whereby saidpad and said tube may be separately rolled or coiled into compact formfor transportation or storage.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence oftwosubscribing witnesses.

THERESA C. MITCHELL. Witnesses:

C. C. MITCHELL, J. W. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner ot Patents,V Washington, D. C.

